This application relates to reactive power, and more particularly to using negative reactive power to detect a sustained parallel source condition.
A vehicle, such as an aircraft, may contain multiple electrical generators coupled to a load. While it is possible to configure electrical generators to operate in parallel, such a parallel configuration can involve complex control algorithms. In an electrical system that includes multiple electrical generators not configured to operate in parallel, a fault condition, such as a contactor erroneously closing, may occur that causes the generators to be connected in parallel, resulting in a sustained parallel source (“SPS”) condition. An SPS condition may also be referred to as a sustained unlike sources in parallel (“SUSP”) or inadvertent parallel (“IP”) condition. An SPS condition can have undesirable effects, such as motoring, which is when a first generator provides current to a second generator causing the second generator to act as a load and consume power instead of generating current, which can potentially damage the second generator.
Some AC circuits, such as those having inductor loads, dissipate zero power, but still appear to dissipate power as they can provide a voltage drop and can draw current. The power that appears to be delivered to such a load is known as “apparent power.” Apparent power is a vector sum of real power and reactive power. Reactive power is measured in Volt-Amps-Reactive (“VAR”).